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Category: College

Northwest women lose MIAA Tournament first round game at Central Oklahoma

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Northwest2013riggertThe Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball team fell to the fifth-seeded Central Oklahoma Bronchos, 67-50, on Tuesday evening.

– The MIAA Tournament first round game was played at the Hamilton Field House in Edmond, Okla.

– The Bearcats finish the year with a 9-18 overall record while the Bronchos improve to 23-6. UCO will now play fourth-seeded Missouri Western on Friday night.

– Tanya Meyer recorded her 12th double-double of the year, scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats shot 34.4 percent from the field, hitting 21-of-61 attempts. Northwest tied the Bronchos with 36 rebounds each.

– UCO shot 45.8 percent, connecting on 27-of-59 attempts, including four from beyond the arc. Central Oklahoma went 9-for-9 from the charity stripe while the Bearcats were 5-of-7.

– Meyer was 5-of-16 from the field and hit a pair of long range attempts. Five of her rebounds came on the offensive end. She also recorded one of two Bearcat steals.

– Caitlin Sudduth hit four of her eight shot attempts and was 4-of-5 from the charity stripe to finish with 12 points. It marked her fourth game in double figures for Northwest this season.

– Maria Dentlinger scored in double figures with 11 points and added six rebounds. It was the third game this year that she scored at least 10 points.

– Arbrie Benson grabbed seven rebounds and finished with six points.

– As a team, Northwest grabbed 11 offensive rebounds while holding UCO to just seven.

– The Bearcat bench outscored the Broncho reserves, 16-6.

– UCO led, 29-25 at the break. Northwest outscored Central Oklahoma, 18-17, in the fourth quarter.

Key Northwest Sequence
– Northwest got off to a good start, scoring nine of the game’s first 13 points. After UCO missed a jumper to begin the game, Meyer hit a three pointer off an assist from Benson for the game’s first points. After a pair of Broncho layups, Meyer hit a layup to give Northwest a 5-4 lead. The Bearcats forced a UCO turnover and Howe was able to find Wilhelmi for a jumper to make it 7-4. After each team came up empty on the next trips down, Northwest got another turnover and Benson turned it into a layup, pushing the Northwest lead to 9-4.

— Northwest Athletics —

John Curries leaves Kansas State to become AD at Tennessee

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riggertKansasStateMANHATTAN, Kan. – John Currie, who since arriving in 2009 has led K-State Athletics through one of the most successful periods in department history, has been named the new Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics at the University of Tennessee.

Since Currie’s introduction as director of athletics in May 2009, the Wildcats’ athletics program has experienced a seven-year period of athletic, academic and fundraising excellence that ranks among the best in school history. Currie, who will begin his new position on April 1, spent 10 years at Tennessee prior to his arrival at K-State.

Laird Veatch, current Deputy AD and former Wildcat football standout, has been named acting athletics director and will manage the department until a permanent hire has been made.

“I want to thank John for his tremendous leadership and efforts on behalf of our student-athletes and university,” said President Richard Myers. “It has been impressive to see the growth of our athletics department with the goal of building a Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program. I look forward to working with acting athletic director Laird Veatch and the staff as we continue to strengthen what is already a very strong relationship between intercollegiate athletics and the university community.”

Under Currie’s leadership, K-State has evolved into one of the NCAA’s most financially solvent programs while initiating $210 million in comprehensive facility improvements – all privately funded with zero state tax or university tuition dollars – including the new Vanier Football Complex, West Stadium Center at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Ice Family Basketball Center, Intercollegiate Rowing Center and Mike Goss Tennis Stadium.

Athletically, Currie’s tenure has been marked by across the board success including seven straight bowl appearances in football, Big 12 Conference championships in football, men’s basketball and baseball, 47 individual Big 12 and eight NCAA titles in track and field, five men’s basketball NCAA Tournament appearances, three in women’s basketball, four in volleyball and three in baseball. The 2012-13 campaign was also one for the ages as K-State became just the fourth BCS school since 1998 to win league titles in football, men’s basketball and baseball the same year.

“Words cannot express how grateful our family is for the time and experience we have had here at K-State and in the Manhattan community,” Currie said. “Tennessee reached out to me earlier this week and encouraged me to visit with Chancellor Davenport about the position. It was evident early in our discussion that she has a tremendous vision for the University, and I am excited to be a part of her leadership team.

“From when I arrived at K-State back in 2009, I have experienced some of the most enjoyable moments in my life, filled with some of the most genuine and caring people I have ever met. As I have said so many times, the collective group of head coaches we have here rival those of any in all of college athletics. Our primary goal has been to provide a World-Class Student-Athlete Experience, and I know we have made tremendous progress in this arena. And of course, our fans continue to support the Wildcats in record numbers, and I know that will continue.”

Academically, all Wildcat programs boast multi-year APR marks of at least .944, with the football, men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s cross country and women’s cross country teams sporting Big 12-leading scores. Approximately one-half of all 450-plus Wildcat student-athletes achieved a 3.0 GPA or higher this past academic year.

With the tag line of “Welcome to K-State” symbolizing the goal of providing The Best Fan Experience in the Big 12, K-State’s marketing and fundraising efforts have been completely overhauled in Currie’s tenure. K-State supporters have pushed attendance to new heights, while $200 million in total gifts have now been raised for K-State Athletics since Currie’s arrival.

K-State Athletics has also proven to be a great partner to the university, having eliminated approximately $3 million in annual state and direct university funding of intercollegiate athletics under Currie’s leadership to become the only institution in Kansas and one of only approximately two dozen nationwide to operate without these subsidies.

New ticket initiatives have led to 42 sellout crowds at Bill Snyder Family Stadium since 2009, including a current streak of 33 straight. The Cats have also set new season total and average attendance records in baseball, sold a record number of season tickets for volleyball and baseball and rank among the Top 35 nationally in attendance in men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball and baseball.

The 2013 Bobby Dodd AD award winner and a 2012 UnderArmour AD of the Year, Currie has served on the NCAA Division I Administrative Cabinet and was the chair of the Big 12 ADs in 2013-14 while also being one of only two intercollegiate ADs named to SportsBusiness Journal’s 2011 prestigious Forty Under 40 list of national sports leaders.

— K-State Athletics —

Missouri’s Pingeton named 2017 SEC Coach of the Year

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riggertMissouriCOLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball head coach Robin Pingeton has been named the 2017 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year, as announced by the league Tuesday. The award was voted on and selected by the conference’s coaches.

Pingeton is Mizzou Women’s Basketball’s first head coach to receive Coach of the Year honors since 1990 and the second coach to do so in program history, joining Joann Rutherford (1984, 1985 and 1990). Pingeton has now earned conference Coach of the Year recognition three times in her career after being named Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2010 at Illinois State.

Despite losing All-SEC forward Jordan Frericks and key reserve Bri Porter in the frontcourt to preseason injuries, Pingeton has guided Mizzou to a historic campaign in 2016-17, leading the Tigers to back-to-back 21-win seasons for the first time since 1983-84 and 1984-85. Picked to place seventh in the SEC in the preseason poll, Mizzou finished third in the league with an 11-5 mark in conference play. Mizzou’s 11 conference wins are its most since 1990.

Under Pingeton, Mizzou now has five consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1985-1990. The Tigers, who owned an 11-7 record four games into league action, won 10 of their final 12 games to clinch a double bye in the SEC Tournament and catapult into the Associated Press Top 25. During the home stretch, Mizzou put together a pair of five-game win streaks, MU’s longest streaks in conference play since 1990. It marked the first time in program history that Mizzou rattled off two separate win streaks of five or more in league play.

Pingeton and company won 15 home games during the 2016-17 season, knocking off three ranked opponents, No. 25 Kentucky, No. 25 Texas A&M and No. 6 South Carolina, along the way. Dating back to last season, the Tigers have won five consecutive games over ranked opponents at Mizzou Arena.

Pingeton’s emphasis on the importance of rebounding and free throw shooting has paid big dividends this season. Despite the loss of two forwards, Mizzou outrebounded opponents in 22 of 30 games and held opponents to a league-low 31.0 rebounds per contest in conference play. The Tigers, who rank second in the nation in free throw percentage shooting 80.1 percent, are also on pace to shatter single-season program and SEC records at the charity stripe. Mizzou has shot above 70 percent in 27 of 30 games.

Pingeton has racked up 457 career victories, including 122 and counting in seven seasons at Mizzou. With an unforgettable regular season in the books, she and the Tigers now turn to the postseason, which begins with the 2017 SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C. With a double bye locked up, Mizzou rests until the quarterfinals on Friday. Tip off is set for approximately 7:30 p.m. CT.

— Mizzou Athletics —

MU’s Cunningham earns 1st Team All-SEC honors; Smith named Co-Freshman of the Year

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riggertMissouriCOLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) and freshman Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) received All-SEC recognition, as announced by the league Tuesday. Cunningham was named First Team All-SEC while Smith earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Year and All-Freshman Team honors.

Cunningham is the first Tiger to receive a First Team All-Conference nod since Bri Kulas in 2014. Cunningham averaged a team-best 17.8 points per game, which ranks second in the SEC entering postseason play. The sensational sophomore ended the regular season with four consecutive 20-point performances, averaging 26.5 points per game in the span while racking up a pair of National Player of the Week awards. During that stretch, she became the first Tiger since Sandie Prophete in 1989 to score 26 points in three straight games.

Cunningham finished with 10 20-point performances this season and has 20 such outings in just 60 career games. She scored at least 30 points on three different occasions during the current campaign, one of just two players in the SEC to do so in league play.

Cunningham ranks second in the SEC in free throw shooting, making 84.4 percent of her attempts. She also boasts a 48.4 field goal percentage and is the only player in the league shooting above 80 percent from the free throw line and 45 percent from the field.

Cunningham dished out at least three assists in 18 games. She leads Mizzou in assists and ranks 11th in the league with 3.5 per game.

Smith is the fourth Tiger in program history to earn conference Freshman of the Year honors. She gives Mizzou back-to-back Freshman of the Year honorees for the second time in program history (Kesha Bonds – 1996, Julie Helm-1997). Smith put together an outstanding freshman campaign, averaging 5.8 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 48.5 percent from three-point range, 47.0 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free throw line. Her current three-point field goal percentage is on pace to set a single-season program record (min. 30 attempts).

Smith reached double figures five times with Mizzou going 5-0 in those contests. She leads the team in field goal percentage and finished the regular season ranked second among freshmen in the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage.

Smith scored at least eight points nine times during the regular season, with seven of those occasions coming in league play. Since Jan. 23, she’s averaged 7.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Mizzou is 8-2 in that span.

Cunningham, Smith and the rest of the Tigers now turn to the postseason, which begins with the 2017 SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C. With a double bye locked up, Mizzou rests until the quarterfinals on Friday. Tip off is set for approximately 7:30 p.m. CT.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Missouri Western baseball rallies at Washburn to complete three-game sweep

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riggertMissouriWesternTOPEKA, Kan. – The Missouri Western baseball team beat Washburn 6-3 in 12 innings Monday and they swept the opening conference series. Missouri Western scored three runs in the ninth inning and added three more in the 12th. MWSU improves to 6-7 this season and 3-0 in the MIAA.

NOTABLES
– MWSU scored on a bases loaded walk, a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch to tie the game in the top of the ninth

– The Griffons scored all three runs in the top of the 12th inning with two outs

– Three of Missouri Western’s six runs were earned

– Washburn stranded 11 runners on base

– Nine pitchers combined to throw nine strikeouts and only four walks for MWSU

TOP PERFORMERS
– Nick Gawley accounted for the tying run and drove in the winning run for the Griffons

– Dusty Stroup went 2-for-6 at the plate and scored two runs

– Ryan Fisher was 2-for-2 with two RBIs after pinch hitting in the top of the 11th inning

UP NEXT
Missouri Western opens its first conference home series on Friday, March 3 at the Spring Sports Complex against Southwest Baptist with first pitch set for 2 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

No. 1 Jayhawks storm back from 10 down to defeat Oklahoma 73-63

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riggertKULAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Frank Mason III scored 23 points in his final game at Allen Fieldhouse, Devonte Graham hit a series of crucial 3-pointers in the second half and top-ranked Kansas rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat Oklahoma 73-63 on Monday night.

Graham finished with 16 points and Josh Jackson had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Big 12 champion Jayhawks (27-3, 15-2), who trailed 54-42 before finishing the game on a 31-11 run.

The Sooners (10-19, 4-13) were poised to spring a big upset on the day the Jayhawks ascended to No. 1 for the first time this season. But after they took their biggest lead with just over 10 minutes to go, Mason got the comeback started with a nifty basket inside.

He added a steal moments later to set up Lagerald Vick’s 3-pointer, and Jackson scored before Graham hit back-to-back shots from beyond the arc. And when Mason added another basket moments later, the Jayhawks had put together a 17-2 charge that gave them a 64-58 lead with about 5 minutes left.

Kansas slowly drew away to make senior night memorable for Mason, big man Landen Lucas and reserve guard Tyler Self, whose father — Kansas coach Bill Self — called him “my favorite Jayhawk of all time.”

— Associated Press —

Griffon softball splits final two games in Hawaii

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riggertMissouriWesternKANEOHE, Hawaii – What was supposed to be a day of rest and relaxation for Griffon softball turned into another doubleheader, a win and a loss on Monday.

Missouri Western (16-4) played its doubleheader at Hawaii Pacific (7-3) one day earlier than originally scheduled and nearly extended its winning streak to 10 games. The Griffons took game one 3-2 before falling 5-4 in nine innings in the finale.

NOTBALES
– Barbara Billingsley retired two-straight batters with the tying run on in the bottom of the seventh of game one

– MWSU scored one in the seventh to force extra innings in game two after Morgan Rathmann walked and Shelbie Atwell drove her in with a double

– Paige Shifflett gave the Griffons a 3-2 lead in the eighth when she tripled then scored on an error

– Riley Wilson put the Griffons up 4-3 in the ninth when she took home on a double-steal attempt that got Rathmann caught at second

– The Griffons were charged with five errors on the day

TOP PERFORMERS
– Sydney Washington hit .571 in the doubleheader with a run scored

– Rebekah Mueller went 3-for-6 at the plate on the day with one RBI

– Rathmann was 3-for-8 at the plate with a run scored

– Shelbie Atwell hit her eighth double of the season

– Billingsley picked up the win in game one and the loss in game two, pitching 2 1/3 innings of relief. She only allowed one earned run in 9 1/3 innings of work in the doubleheader

UP NEXT
Missouri Western gets this coming weekend off before opening the home and MIAA portions of its schedule on March 10 when the Griffons host Lindenwood (3-6).

— MWSU Athletics —

No. 24 K-State women come up short at home against No. 12 Texas

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riggertKansasStateMANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Joyner Holmes scored 17 points, Lashann Higgs added 16 and No. 12 Texas beat No. 24 Kansas State 69-61 on Monday night to secure No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Conference Tournament.

Kelsey Lang hit a baseline jumper with 1:57 to go for a 61-54 lead and she fouled out 13 seconds later. Then Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau picked up her fifth foul with 1:22 left, but Kansas State missed both free throws and trailed 64-55.

Higgs made four straight free throws with under two minutes left, the last for a 10-point lead at the 1:06 mark.

Brianna Taylor added 12 points with 11 rebounds for Texas (22-7, 15-3), which broke a three-game losing streak. The Longhorns won their 15th conference game to tie the 2002-03 and 2015-16 teams for the program record.

Karyla Middlebrook scored 14 and Breanna Lewis had 12 points and nine rebounds for Kansas State (21-9, 11-7), which lost for the first time in four games.

Kansas State didn’t score for the first five minutes of the game and trailed 9-5 after the first quarter. Texas built a 27-19 halftime lead with 11 points from Joyner Holmes.

— Associated Press —

Northwest Missouri State’s Pitts and McCollum earn top MIAA honors

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Northwest2013riggertKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University junior Justin Pitts was named the MIAA Player of the Year for the second-straight season and head coach Ben McCollum earned Coach of the Year honors for the third-straight season. Senior Zach Schneider earned second team honors while Chris-Ebou Ndow garnered third team accolades and was also named to the All-Defensive team. Seniors Anthony Woods and D’Vante Mosby were named honorable mention performers.

Pitts becomes the first player in Northwest history to ever be named MIAA Player of the Year twice. He is also the first player to earn three-straight first team All-MIAA nods since 1937. This year, Pitts is averaging 19.3 points and 5.3 assists per game. He has scored in double figures 25 times and surpassed 20 or more points 14 times. He now ranks fifth in Northwest history with 1,686 points and if fourth all time in made field goals with 613 and in made three point field goals with 191.

2016-17 marks the third-straight season McCollum has garnered the league’s Coach of the Year honor and the fourth in his career at Northwest, winning back in 2012. He has led the Bearcats to six-straight 20+ win seasons, one of just seven schools in Division II to accomplish that feat. The 26 wins this season is the second most in his tenure, only one behind the 27 games the team won last season.

Schneider is now the Northwest and MIAA career leader in three-point field goals made with 348. This season, he has started all 27 games and is averaging 10.3 points per game. He has hit 86-of-175 (49.1 percent) of his long range attempts this year and is averaging 34.6 minutes per game. In 27 games, he has hit at least one three pointer in 25 contests and has at least two on 21 occasions.

Ndow becomes the first Bearcat to be named to the All-Defensive team since Matt Wallace following the 2014-15 season. In 24 games, Ndow has averaged 13.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest. This year, he has tallied 21 steals and nine blocked shots on the defensive end. Offensively, Ndow is shooting an even 50 percent from the field (111-222) and has hit a career-high 39 three pointers.

Woods is averaging a career-best 8.2 points per game during his senior year. Appearing in 24 games, Woods has racked up a career-best 72 assists with 72 rebounds, 14 steals and two blocked shots. He is shooting 54.7 percent from the field (76-139) and has hit 6-of-11 three pointers. Woods has reached double figures nine times on the year.

Mosby has appeared in all 27 games this season and is averaging 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. This year, he has hit 54.9 percent of his field goal attempts (84-153), scoring in double figures 11 times. Mosby has dished off 29 assists, tallied 25 steals and blocked 10 shots. Earlier this year, he surpassed 1,000 points and 700 rebounds for his career.

Player of the Year: Justin Pitts, G, Jr., NW
Defensive Player of the Year: Brady Skeens, F, Jr., WU
Freshman of the Year: Elyjah Clark, F, Fr., MSSU
Coach of the Year: Ben McCollum, NW

All-MIAA First Team
Justin Pitts, G, So., NW**[r3]
Rob Davis, G, Jr., FHSU[r2]
Anthony Virdure, G, Sr., LU
Brandy Skeens, F, Jr., WU Trey Lansman, C, Jr., UNK
**Unanimous Selection
[r2] Two time repeat First Team Selection
[r3] Three time repeat First Team Selection

All-MIAA Second Team
Spencer Reaves, G, Jr., UCM
CJ Carr, G, Jr., MSSU
Zach Schneider, F, Sr., NW
Chandler Diekvoss, F, So., LWU
Corbin Byford, F, Sr., UCO

All-MIAA Third Team
Jaylon Smith, G, Sr., LU
Chris-Ebou Ndow, G, Jr., NW
Brandon Hall, G, So., ESU
Kyle Wolfe, F, Sr., UCM
Logan Hovey, F, Jr., SBU

All-Defensive Team
Brady Skeens, F, Jr., WU
Marquiez Lawrence, F, Sr., UCM
JaQuan Smith, F, Sr, FHSU
Bakari Triggs, G, Jr., LWU
Chris-Ebou Ndow, G, Jr., NW

Honorable Mention All-MIAA
Marquiez Lawrence, UCM; Jake Hammond, UCO; Josh Holiday, UCO; Josh Pederson, ESU; JaQuan Smith, FHSU; Hadley Gillium, FHSU; Jackson Price, LWU; Elyjah Clark, MSSU; JJ Cratit, MSSU; Lawrence Brown, MSSU; Cole Clearman, MWSU; Yashua Trent, UNK; Isaiah MaKay, UNK; Ty Daneilson, UNK; Montre Williams, NSU; Anthony Woods, NW; D’Vante Mosby, NW; Javion Blake, WU; Brian Patterson, SBU

— Northwest Athletics —

MWSU’s Clearman earns All-MIAA honorable mention honors

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riggertMissouriWesternST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western men’s basketball junior guard Cole Clearman was named honorable mention All-MIAA as the teams were released Monday.

Clearman led the Griffons with a career-high 14.8 points per game. He also led the team in free throw percentage (88.2), assists (87), three-point field goals (77) and minutes played (1,014). The junior from Bettendorf, Iowa finished third in the MIAA, shooting 41.3 percent from three-point range and fourth in the conference with 2.7 made threes per game. He also led the MIAA, averaging 36.1 minutes per game.

The guard was the lone Griffon named All-MIAA, and earned the distinction for the first time in his career. Clearman matched his career high with 25 points on Nov. 21 against Lake Superior State. He recorded career-highs this season in rebounds (11 vs. Fort Hays State), assists (8 vs. Maryville), steals (4, twice), field goals made (9 vs. Maryville) and free throws made (8 vs. Baker).

— MWSU Athletics —

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